MOBILE/CONTACTLESS and omni-COMMERCE

Global Gateway is built on Mastercard Payment Gateway Services infrastructure and is now available in Spain, for retailers in all of Europe. The fraud-detection technology monitors transactions in real time, regardless of type of payment, currency, channel and geographical location of the market where they originate.

The new platform supports Swish, Siirto, ePayments (Finland) and all major bankcards and is now available in Sweden and Finland with launch plans for Denmark and Norway later this year. Analytics for merchants are promised for the future.

Adyen is partnering with Retail Pro International to integrates its platform into Retail pro’s POS software solutions. http://tinyurl.com/y9srahw8

The launch is the first step in Klarna’s strategy to provide the payments and shopping in one single app. The app has a number of features including flexibility in how and when to make payment,

Microsoft has announced that it is to introduce payments in Outlook using Microsoft Pay to help users to pay bills or invoices, within the email app, without needing to switch to another app or service. http://tinyurl.com/y7l3wknp

The functionality will be supported by a number of payment processors including Stripe and Braintree, billing services including Zuora, and a variety of invoicing services.

Designed around the needs of the food and drink industry, the solution enables restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs to streamline service whilst delivering an outstanding customer experience. The fully integrated solution connects and consolidates payments across all channels, whether customers are paying at the counter, at the table or via a mobile app. Research details http://tinyurl.com/y9cjkk5e

In the new Cash Back section of the Samsung Pay app’s home screen, users will find a range of exclusive offers from leading retailers they can choose from. Samsung is also introducing Bixby Shopping – available with Bixby Vision on the Galaxy S9 and S9+ – which identifies a fashion item and then directs the shopper to a merchant selling it.

The new offer combines Product Information Management (PIM) functionality and next generation B2B/B2C e-Commerce capabilities. Forms part of TrueCommerce Foundry, a broad set of unified commerce services and apps that connects customers, suppliers, channels, and systems.

DIGITAL/RETAIL BANKING

The survey indicates that although U.K. consumers’ trust in their banks is at its highest level since 2012, the decision of some banks to increase digital-only interactions risks alienating customers of all ages. Despite a large drop in visits to branches and ATMs, use of mobile banking is static and customers still want human contact.

SMART CITIES

Mastercard is collaborating with Microsoft by combining their payment, data analytics and cloud technologies to create a global exchange to support more connected and inclusive cities. http://tinyurl.com/yctpeldh

The insights derived from the collaboration will help city agencies to understand root causes of issues and more effectively tackle long-standing urban challenges such as traffic congestion or economic development.

OPEN BANKING

The app allows users to see not only their UK current account but online savings accounts, mortgages, loans and cards held across a number of banks, including non HSBC accounts, in one app. Customers can currently add accounts from up to 21 different banks.